Contents

Description

The Freight's locomotive (available only in a grey color) is based on an EMD SD50, while its flatbed cars are actually stripped down chassis of the locomotive; the flatbed cars have ample room to carry up to a full size car along with the player, making the train somewhat useful in travel. In addition to flatbed cars, game files reveal that a boxcar variant exists but remains unused in the game;[1] third party mods allow the player to pull these boxcars instead of the flatbeds.

The train has some realistic effects, particularly the ability to derail it at high speeds. The train begins to shake above 190 km/h, at which speed it will derail upon turning. Also, if the train is pulling more flatbeds, its acceleration will decrease due to the added weight. Trains are immune to all forms of damage, including weapon damage, fire and any physical obstruction, however derailment will render them useless. There are no 1st/3rd person views when driving or traveling in the train, and the cinematic view mode is the only view available. Some third party trainers can offer different viewpoints.

The updated variant of the Freight in GTA V, circled in yellow.

Appearances in missions

Although not making much appearance during the storyline, it has a prominent use in missions.

A Freight train appears in the opening cutscene, forcing Pulaski to wait for it to pass.

In the Ryder mission Catalyst, the player must steal weaponry from a Freight train. If the mission is failed before the train leaves, the weapons on the flatbed will disappear, though the Freight will remain locked.

During the mission Snail Trail for Frank Tenpenny, the player is required to follow a Brown Streak train with a reporter on board, who is going to meet somebody. Freights can appear on the other track. Following them back to San Fierro will have them leave the track and fly over the dock.

In the Truth mission Green Goo, the player is required to steal green goo from an Army Freight train.

In GTA V there is a mission called Derailed which involves stealing something off a train.

Trivia

If the train's engine happens to end up in water, it will stay afloat indefinitely, with the sound of the engine audible above and below water. The player can climb atop the unsinkable engine as if it were a stationary platform, a testament to the train's indestructibility.

If the faster cars cheat is enabled, the Freight will appear more often.

If Freight missons are started and then canceled, the train will go into a 3rd person mode for a little bit, this also works with the Brown Streak.

It's possible for the player to climb onto the flatbed and ride the train that way. The game remains in standard view mode throughout the ride.

The Freight cannot be derailed while it is travelling through a covered and/or straight track, such as a tunnel. Because of this, it is not possible to derail the Freight in San Fierro.

While playing in multiplayer, a player can lock onto any of the trains cars and see that there is health for each car. The health of the cars can be drained to zero but there is no effect of this at all, compared to normal vehicles that explode when at zero health.

The way the player enters the locomotive is very unrealistic. On real EMD SD40-2 Units, you have to go through doors located on the front and rear of the cab.

Although hard to notice, the number of railcars attached to the Freight does affect the acceleration and the length to entirely stop the train.

The Freight featured in Green Goo has five flatcars attached to it. This is one of the three times a five car Freight is seen, the others being the opening cut scene and during Snail Trail, though the five flatcar consist does not always appear during this mission. All other times, it will have a maximum of four.

When in 2-player mode on a console, if both players are in the locomotive, they can both control it. This applies to all controllable trains in the game.

Saving a derailed Freight in a garage will crash the game when the door is reopened.

The Freight returns to GTA V. It is seen in the second trailer of the game and a few screenshots.

The flatbeds on the Freight can be used, especially if you want to transport a specific vehicle to the TransFender at Cranberry Station. There are many places on the rais that are level with the Freights flatcars. Just park the train near there, and drive the car onto the flatbeds. Keep in mind, you can use these areas to load a car onto other vehicles, like the DFT-30, a Beagles wings, and, obviously, the Flatbed.

The Freight can be used as a very deadly weapon, especially on internet multiplayer modes, where one could tell others to stand on the flatcars, which offer a great shooting position, and once all the flatcars are crowded with as many gunmen as you can fit, just drive through the rails, and the shooters on the back will destroy almost anything! This can also be done with the Packer,DFT-30,Flatbed, all trucks, all boats, and many others.

Glitch

There is a glitch were the player can drive the Freight in 3rd person perspective, as they would a normal vehicle. There are two locations that are easy to do this.

Los Santos

Get to the 2-player Icon near the Johnson house.

Head to Unity Station and wait for a Freight to appear.

Player 2 needs to hijack the locomotive.

Player 1 needs to remain stationary somewhere on the flatcars so they don't fall off the train.

Press 'Select' on the 2nd players controller.

San Fierro

Do the same thing, except use the 2 player icon near the garage and go to Cranberry Station.

Please note that there is a rural area near Los Santos that Player 1 can fall off of the train. Use extra caution through here.

Grand Theft Auto V

In some of the GTA Vtrailers, trains that resemble Freight trains can be seen. They have arrowed lines on the front, that are very similar to those on the Freight trains in GTA San Andreas. In the game, they cannot be driven, however, they can be ridden on simply by jumping into one of the well cars while it passes. In this game the freight can be seen with 3 different cars, arranged randomly, well cars, both loaded and unloaded ones, boxcars, and tankcars. It is possible to go up to the engine and kill the driver, and in one mission "Derailed" the train can be driven for a very short amount of time, however, outside of the mission the train is undrivable. Once again, the train is indestructible, except in the mission "Derailed" where it is scripted for two trains to crash on a bridge.